Had a lesson this week and my game has gone completely to pot

[rudebhoy]

First lesson for about 3 or 4 months. The pro tried to get me to make a change to my swing and have gone from playing pretty well by my lowly standards, to absolutely awful. My driving is not very long but pretty straight most of the time, yesterday I was slicing them massively, near enough at a right angle to the fairway. Irons were pretty dreadful as well.

He did say my game would get worse before it got better, but yesterday was ridiculous!

 

[Capella]

Hang in there. It is something that everyone knows who ever had a golf lesson. Do you know what exactly the pro is trying to change in your swing and why? Is it something that you agree with (current problems notwithstanding)? Then just give it time. Your brain has to build a few new bridges there (and to tear down loads of old ones).

 

[rudebhoy]

Hang in there. It is something that everyone knows who ever had a golf lesson. Do you know what exactly the pro is trying to change in your swing and why? Is it something that you agree with (current problems notwithstanding)? Then just give it time. Your brain has to build a few new bridges there (and to tear down loads of old ones).

I know what he is trying to change (to get the top of the club to point at the ball at the top of my backswing), but I'm not sure I know why.

I think I am focusing on that so much that I am forgetting everything else I have learned.

Am playing again on Sunday and will persevere with it, but at the moment my confidence is totally shot.

 

[slowhand]

I think your issue is not the change, or the result of the change, but your expectations whilst you are getting used to the change.

As this is something new, not only will your brain have to build new neural pathways to hold the new information, but your muscles will have to relearn the movements (muscle-memory). Whilst all this is going on you can't expect to be striking the ball well. Rather focu on the resultrs, focus on the process. Give yourself goals of accomplishing certain movements, regardless of the outcome. You can also think of it as a good opportunity to practice your scrambling.

Failing all that, it's a nice walk out in the fresh air with some mates!

 

[virtuocity]

He did say my game would get worse before it got better

I hate this pro chat.

 

[Three]

I know what he is trying to change (to get the top of the club to point at the ball at the top of my backswing),.

What does that mean exactly?
How can the club point at the ball at the top of your backswing?
Seems like a bit of miscommunication somewhere.

 

[bobmac]

Was it your grip he changed or your take away ?

 

[SteveW86]

I know how you feel, I had a lesson last week....changed my rotation through my swing, felt ok. I went to the range a couple of days after and was hitting the ball better than I ever have done. Then I went last night and couldn't even hit a PW properly, was absolutely useless. Back off the the range this afternoon to work on it.

 

[garyinderry]

He is trying to fix your plane.

It isn't that the butt club is pointing at the ball at the top. From a behind view during the backswing the butt is either pointing way out in front of you. Ie way outside the ball or less likely too much inside the ball.

Imagine a lazer pen attached to the butt of the club. He wants that to point in a line back from the ball.

Loads of videos on YouTube will explain this clearly. Search proper plane. Correct plane. Etc

 

[bobmac]

What does that mean exactly?
How can the club point at the ball at the top of your backswing?
Seems like a bit of miscommunication somewhere.

I'm guessing it's the clubface thats closed at the top and hes trying to get the toe to point at the ball

 

[the_coach]

at the very next lesson would ask the questions - not worrying about feeling foolish - to make sure there's a real understanding of what exactly is being changed/worked too

as been said already on the thread sounds like there's some misunderstanding goin down or maybes a typo in the op

(was there any mention of lead wrist, club face angle (leading edge) alignments at the top of the swing position?)

 

[Three]

I'm guessing it's the clubface thats closed at the top and hes trying to get the toe to point at the ball

I can guess too

I'm trying to find out what's going through the student's head.

 

[Deleted member 18121]

I had that issue too - ruined me for 4 months. I then went back to what I was doing before and am playing well off the back of it.

 

[Smiffy]

He did say my game would get worse before it got better

That's weird.
Homers pro's have all told him the same thing.

 

[rudebhoy]

He is trying to fix your plane.

It isn't that the butt club is pointing at the ball at the top. From a behind view during the backswing the butt is either pointing way out in front of you. Ie way outside the ball or less likely too much inside the ball.

Imagine a lazer pen attached to the butt of the club. He wants that to point in a line back from the ball.

Loads of videos on YouTube will explain this clearly. Search proper plane. Correct plane. Etc

yep, that's it exactly. The butt is pointing straight down at the ground, inside the ball, rather than pointing at the ball.

 

[rudebhoy]

I had that issue too - ruined me for 4 months. I then went back to what I was doing before and am playing well off the back of it.

oh god ....

 

[Deleted member 18121]

oh god ....

tell me about it, I played in a comp and shot 116..... its for this reason I'll never have another lesson again. I'm now down to 14.5 hcp and am happy with how its progressing.

 

[Ross61]

I know how you feel. With one coach,he was right and I was playing better after a few weeks. Another coach said the same thing and after a couple of months I was still worse. I went back to my original coach to put me back on track.
I went back to my trusted coach some time later to help me. We worked on stuff and he told me to practice on the range with the changes but not to use them on the course for a while. I really struggled with that instruction!! I couldn't switch on and off the changes. Far too much for my head that was already overloaded with swing thoughts to contend with two different swings. so I just soldiered on with the new swing until everything improved.

 

[rudebhoy]

Was it your grip he changed or your take away ?

It's the take away he is trying to change, trying to get me to swing more like you would if you were swinging a baseball bat (if that makes sense).

 

[sawtooth]

It's the take away he is trying to change, trying to get me to swing more like you would if you were swinging a baseball bat (if that makes sense).

I swing like that , around my body but I know that from a purist point of view that the plane is too flat.

Seems like I need to go more upright and that you need to go more flat.

Good luck and don't expect results too soon after major surgery like that.